Your aim is to attain the best HSC result you can. You should choose courses that you are good at, interested in and may use in the future.
When considering which courses to study, explore the content of a course. For example, what are the course outcomes? Will you be required to submit a major work, or perform, as part of your exams? Talk with your teachers about your strengths and weaknesses as well as individual course requirements before making your selections.
Meeting HSC eligibility requirements
To be eligible for the HSC, you must:
satisfactorily complete Years 9 and 10 or gain other qualifications that satisfy NESA
complete HSC: All My Own Work (or its equivalent) before you submit any work for Preliminary or HSC courses, unless you are only entered for Year 11 and Year 12 Life Skills courses
satisfactorily complete courses in the patterns of study detailed below
sit for and make a serious attempt at the required HSC exams
meet the HSC minimum standard of literacy and numeracy within five years of starting your HSC course
Certain patterns of study and course requirements apply
You must satisfactorily complete:
Both patterns of study must include at least:
6 units of Board Developed Courses
2 units of a Board Developed Course in English
3 courses of 2 or more units (either Board Developed or Board Endorsed Courses)
4 subjects.
HSC courses
There are many HSC courses but not all of them contribute to an ATAR.
Courses are classified as Board Developed Course (BDC) or Content Endorsed Course (CEC).
ATAR Courses
ATAR courses are developed and formally endorsed by NESA. Board Developed Courses (BDC) are the only courses that can be included in ATAR calculations.
Students MUST sit the optional HSC exam in English Studies, Mathematics Standard 1 and any VET subject to receive an ATAR.
ATAR Eligibility
To be eligible for an ATAR, students must satisfactorily complete at least 10 units of ATAR courses.
These ATAR courses must include:
2 units of English
8 units of Board Developed Courses
3 Board Developed courses of 2 units or greater
4 subjects
Sit the HSC Examination in all Board Developed Courses (even where the examination is optional)
Satisfactorily completing a course
Students will be considered to have satisfactorily completed a course if they have:
followed the course developed or endorsed by NESA
applied diligence and sustained effort to the set tasks and experiences provided in the course by the school
achieved some or all of the course outcomes
made a genuine attempt at assessment tasks
Students will also need to make a serious attempt at the HSC examination for the course.
Below you will find the list of courses on offer at Kirrawee High School:
